What is Threat Detection and Response?

Threat Detection and Response TDR is the process of identifying potential cybersecurity threats to your organization, and it's a vital part of keeping your business safe. Between 2020 and 2021, corporate networks saw 50% more cyber attacks per week, and 40% of small businesses that faced a severe attack experienced at least eight hours of downtime. Cybercrime is estimated to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses. However, only 14% have the right threat detection and response tools in place to defend themselves. If you are still wondering why threat detection and response matters for your business, here's a closer look at how it can help protect you from cyber threats.

Threats Come in All Shapes and Sizes – What Are The Most Common Threats?

There are all sorts of threats that businesses need to be aware of, from viruses and malware to phishing scams and denial of service (DoS) attacks. It's important to have a threat detection and response system in place to identify these threats so you can take immediate steps to mitigate them. The first step is understanding what kinds of threats exist and how they can impact your business.

For example, a DoS attack is designed to bring down your website or network by flooding it with traffic. This can cost you money in lost productivity and revenue, and it can damage your reputation if customers can't access your site. A virus or malware, on the other hand, can infect your systems and allow attackers to gain access to sensitive data or even take control of your devices. These are just a few examples of the many different types of threats that businesses face every day.

Importance of Threat Detection

Threat detection and response play a crucial role in safeguarding organizations against cyberattacks and protecting their vital assets, data, and operations. It involves the identification and response to security threats before they can cause significant damage. The importance of threat detection can be understood by considering the following key aspects:

• Prevention and Mitigation: Timely threat detection and response allow organizations to prevent and mitigate the impact of cyber threats. By identifying and responding to threats early, organizations can minimize the chances of successful attacks and reduce potential damage to their systems, networks, and data.
• Protection of Critical Data: Threat detection is vital for protecting critical data from unauthorized access, theft, or manipulation. It helps in identifying potential breaches or unauthorized activities within the network or endpoints, allowing organizations to take immediate action to prevent data loss or leakage.
• Business Continuity: Cyberattacks can disrupt business operations, leading to financial losses, reputational damage, and legal consequences. Threat detection enables organizations to quickly respond to and mitigate attacks, minimizing the impact on business continuity.
• Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: Many industries have specific compliance and regulatory requirements related to information security. Threat detection and response help organizations meet these obligations by actively monitoring for security incidents, potential breaches, or unauthorized activities.
• Incident Response and Forensics: Threat detection is a crucial component of incident response and forensic investigations. When a security incident occurs, the ability to quickly detect and respond to threats allows organizations to contain and investigate the incident promptly.

Passive & Active: Two Types of Threat Detection to Keep Your Business Safe

Now that you understand the importance of threat detection and response, let's take a look at how it works. There are two main types of threat detection: passive and active. Passive threat detection involves monitoring your network for signs of an attack or intrusion. This can be done with tools like firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Active threat detection goes a step further by not only monitoring for signs of an attack but also proactively testing your systems for vulnerabilities. This type of testing can be done with penetration tests, which simulate real-world attacks so you can see how well your defenses hold up. The proactive search for cyber threats is also called threat hunting.

Organizations typically use both passive and active threat detection methods to get the most comprehensive view of their security posture. By using these methods, businesses can detect potential threats early and take steps to mitigate them before they cause any damage.

Common Types of Threat Detection and Response Solutions

Threat detection and response encompasses various techniques and technologies to identify and respond to security threats effectively. The following are common types of threat detection:

Network Detection and Response (NDR)

NDR solutions monitor and detect suspicious network traffic using techniques like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). By analyzing network behaviors and patterns, NDR can identify anomalies, advanced threats, and potential breaches in real-time. It helps organizations gain visibility into their network infrastructure and respond swiftly to security incidents.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

EDR solutions continuously monitor and collect data from endpoints such as laptops, desktops, and servers. They employ advanced detection methods to identify malicious activities, unauthorized access, or potential breaches at the endpoint level. EDR tools provide real-time visibility, threat-hunting capabilities, and automated response actions to protect endpoints from sophisticated attacks.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

XDR is an advanced detection and response solution that correlates and analyzes security events across multiple security domains. It integrates data from various sources like endpoints, networks, cloud platforms, and applications to provide a comprehensive view of the threat landscape. XDR helps security operations teams prioritize and remediate threats efficiently, enhancing overall security posture.

Challenges with Threat Detection and Response Solutions

Threat detection and response systems face several challenges in today's evolving cybersecurity landscape. These challenges can hinder the effectiveness of detecting and mitigating threats, potentially leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks. Here are some key challenges that modern organizations may face: 

• Complex Cloud Environments: With the increasing adoption of cloud computing, organizations are deploying their assets across multiple cloud environments. Managing and monitoring these complex environments can pose challenges for threat detection and response systems. It becomes difficult for security teams to maintain oversight and visibility of all assets and activities, making it easier for threats to go unnoticed.
• Perimeter Focus: Many organizations tend to focus their security efforts on protecting the perimeter, such as firewalls and network boundaries. However, this approach may not be sufficient as attackers can find ways to bypass these defenses through tactics like phishing attacks. Organizations need to adopt a more holistic approach that considers threats originating from both external and internal sources.
• Infinite Arms Race: Threat detection and response is an ongoing battle between IT organizations and cyber attackers. As security measures and technologies evolve, attackers also develop new tactics and techniques to evade detection. This constant arms race puts pressure on organizations to stay updated with the latest threat intelligence and employ advanced detection mechanisms.
• Disconnected Tool Suite: Security teams rely on multiple cybersecurity tools and solutions to detect and respond to threats. However, if these tools are not integrated or work in isolation, it can lead to inefficiencies and delays in detecting and responding to threats. A disconnected tool suite makes it challenging to correlate and analyze security events effectively, hindering timely incident response.
• Staffing Challenges: The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is growing rapidly, but there is a shortage of qualified personnel. This shortage makes it difficult for organizations to build and maintain competent threat detection and response teams. Without adequate staffing, organizations may struggle to effectively monitor and respond to threats, leaving them more vulnerable to attacks.

Best Practices For Threat Detection and Response

Implementing best practices for TDR is essential to minimize cybersecurity risks and effectively protect sensitive data. Here are some key practices to consider when implementing threat detection and response solutions:

• Establish Baseline Behavior: Document and analyze the regular activity across your IT system to create a baseline behavior profile. This helps identify anomalies and flag potential threats.
• Continuous Real-Time Monitoring: Implement 24/7 monitoring of networks, endpoints, applications, and user behaviors to detect and respond to potential issues promptly. 
• Integrate Threat Intelligence: Incorporate threat intelligence feeds into your TDR workflow. Stay informed about the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures used by threat actors. This enables proactive threat detection and response.
• Conduct Vulnerability Assessments: Regularly scan systems, networks, and applications for known vulnerabilities. Identify weaknesses that attackers could exploit and prioritize remediation efforts.
• Regular Threat Hunting: Perform regular threat-hunting activities to actively search for indicators of compromise (IOCs) and potential risks. This involves proactively examining the network and systems for signs of ongoing or potential breaches.
• Employee Training and Planning: Train your security staff on how to effectively use TDR tools and processes. Conduct simulated scenarios, such as tabletop exercises, to practice response efforts. 
• Incident Response Planning: Develop a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines roles, responsibilities, and procedures for responding to security incidents. This ensures a coordinated and effective response in case of a breach.
• Collaboration and Automation: Foster collaboration between different teams, such as security operations, IT, and management, to facilitate information sharing and decision-making. Leverage automation and orchestration tools to streamline response processes, improve efficiency, and reduce human error.
• Regular Evaluation and Improvement: Continuously assess the effectiveness of your TDR program through metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and incident reviews. Identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to enhance your security posture.

Advanced Threat Detection and Response 

Traditional methods of threat detection and response like signature-based detection rely on identifying the cyber “fingerprint” of the malware in order to prevent the system from infection. For many years, this form of threat detection and response has been effective against most viruses and cyber threats, but they are proving increasingly fragile in today’s world against newer and continuously evolving forms of malware.

As newer malware and threats continue to find ways around older forms of cyber protection, a newer method of threat detection and response known as advanced threat detection has emerged to keep up with these looming threats. These threat detection and response tools work on the assumption that threats encountered will always be new and improved. Instead of searching an existing fingerprint database for guidance, these systems make use of automated monitoring, sandboxing, behavioral analysis, and other threat detection mechanisms to mitigate various advanced malware.

For businesses and organizations looking for a future-proof threat detection and response system that can mitigate even the most advanced threats and remain effective for years to come, advanced threat detection tools will prove to be a great investment. For this matter, Sangfor Endpoint Secure and Sangfor Network Secure are both ideal products for businesses and enterprises with high-security demands.

What To Look For in a Threat Detection and Response Solution

With many threat detection and response solutions in the market, it would be difficult for organizations to choose which one would be best for them. However, one should look for the following when choosing a threat detection and response solution:

• Advanced Threat Detection Capabilities: Your solution should have robust capabilities to detect both known and unknown threats. It should leverage threat intelligence, behavioral analytics, machine learning, and other advanced techniques to identify suspicious activities and anomalies that indicate a potential breach.
• Real-time Monitoring and Alerting: Look for solutions that provide real-time monitoring of network traffic, system logs, user activities, and other relevant data sources. It should have the ability to generate alerts and notifications when it detects potential threats, enabling organizations to respond promptly.
• Integration and Correlation of Data: An effective solution should be able to collect and integrate data from various sources, such as network devices, endpoints, applications, and security logs. It should correlate this data to provide a comprehensive view of the security landscape and enable the identification of complex attack patterns.
• Incident Response and Automation: Your solution should facilitate incident response processes by providing workflows, playbooks, and automation capabilities. It should enable security teams to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents, including containment, eradication, and recovery actions.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Before deciding, consider the scalability and flexibility of the solution to accommodate their current and future needs. It should be able to handle large volumes of data, support diverse IT environments, and integrate with existing security infrastructure.
• User-Friendly Interface and Reporting: The solution should have an intuitive interface that allows security analysts to easily navigate and access relevant information. It should provide comprehensive reporting and visualization capabilities to help stakeholders understand the threat landscape, measure the effectiveness of security controls, and demonstrate compliance.
• Continuous Monitoring and Threat Hunting: A robust solution should support continuous monitoring and proactive threat hunting. It should enable security teams to actively search for indicators of compromise (IOCs), investigate suspicious activities, and identify hidden threats that may have evaded initial detection.
• Regular Updates and Support: It is essential to choose a solution that is regularly updated with the latest threat intelligence and security technologies. Given that cyber threats are ever-evolving, your threat detection and response solution should be constantly evolving too. The vendor should provide ongoing support, including software patches, bug fixes, and access to a knowledgeable support team.

Sangfor Endpoint Secure – Industry-Leading Advanced Threat Detection Technology

Designed to suit anyone from small startups to large organizations, Sangfor Endpoint Secure is an advanced endpoint security solution capable of providing the most powerful malware and ransomware detection on the market. Endpoint Secure also integrates seamlessly with Sangfor’s other security solutions, including Network Secure (next generation firewall), IAG (secure web gateway), and Cyber Command (network detection and response) to form a holistic threat detection and response platform.

Aside from providing an elite level of cyber protection, Sangfor Endpoint Secure also offers many unique features that distinguish it from other threat detection and response systems on the market, such as:

• Endpoint discovery and unsecured endpoint detection capabilities to ensure that no device connected to the network is left unprotected.
• The world’s first endpoint ransomware honeypot that uses bait files to detect and block ransomware encryption in real-time.
• Vulnerability discovery capability that detects system vulnerabilities on all endpoint devices and enables simplified patching.
• Innovative hot patching technology that remediates system vulnerabilities without having to reboot the system.
• Event correlation with other security tools allows IT security professionals to investigate any previous breaches and gain a better understanding of how breaches occurred.
• Flexible deployment with compatibility across multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as virtualized deployment.

Due to its simplified security operations and maintenance, Sangfor Endpoint Secure can be easily managed by smaller IT teams and is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. It helped enterprises like J&T Express and Coca-Cola improve their network security drastically and eradicate long-standing cyber threats. We will cover more on this topic in the case study section of this blog.

Sangfor Network Secure: Next-Generation Application Firewall

For organizations that need a holistic, enterprise-grade firewall with elite threat detection, Sangfor Network Secure (previously known as NGAF) is the cream of the crop. It is the world’s first AI-enabled Next-Generation Firewall fully integrated with web application firewall, antivirus, intrusion detection system, and real-time threat intelligence to effectively offer protection from up to 99% of cyber threats.

Sangfor Network Secure can deal with anything from vulnerability scanning and SQL injection attacks to website defacement attacks and brute force attacks that crack weak passwords. Its advanced ability to interpret high-risk user behavior analytics also offers an extra layer of early threat detection and response. It also benefits from features such as:

• An all-in-one endpoint security management
• A GUI dashboard that can help small to mid-size enterprises simplify network and endpoint security operations
• More advanced malware protection against all malicious activity or files, known, unknown, or zero-day

Thanks to its threat detection capabilities and easy operations and maintenance, Sangfor Network Secure is one of the best next generation firewalls in the industry, especially for businesses that demand an elite level of security and visibility. In recent years, Sangfor Network Secure’s top-tier performance has earned the trust of government agencies like the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and helped them mitigate countless security threats.

Case Study – How Coca-Cola Fortified its Network Security through EDR

Aside from small businesses, large corporations are also common targets for hackers and their ransomware attacks. With thousands of employees and devices accessing their systems during daily operations, the networks of these corporations provide countless weak spots for hackers to launch their attacks.

In response to these potential threats, Coca-Cola Bottlers Management Service (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter SCMC) sought for early prevention by enhancing their threat detection and response with Sangfor’s Managed Security Service with Endpoint Secure and Cyber Command (NDR) deployment.

Sangfor MSS helped SCMC establish systematic, standardized, and continuous security risk management and security operations management to achieve early detection, rapid containment, and complete remediation. In addition to the excellent threat detection and response that the security tools already provide, Sangfor security experts remain online 24x7 to conduct manual analysis and investigation of security alerts, helping SCMC isolate compromised assets and close the entry point of intrusions.

On average, Sangfor security experts responded in less than an hour for general vulnerabilities and less than 30 minutes for critical security events. This highly efficient model of threat detection and response ensured a secure foundation for SCMC’s digitalization and smart manufacturing aspirations.

Read more on this case study here.

Case Study – Eradicating Ongoing Malware Infections for J&T Express

J&T Express is a globally known logistics company that currently processes the largest shipping volume in Indonesia and employs almost 350,000 employees worldwide. After an accelerated transition into the digital world, the company found itself under the constant threat of ransomware attacks that could significantly impact its business operations. They promptly came to Sangfor for help.

After lengthy discussions with J&T Express and a thorough analysis of their existing security infrastructure, Sangfor experts assembled a comprehensive threat detection and response solution that combined Cyber Command, NGAF, Endpoint Secure, and Internet Access Gateway.

The new setup significantly improved the company’s threat detection and response capabilities. External attacks, even the most advanced and complex variations, can be detected and displayed in real-time. Risks to internal hosts were quickly identified and mitigated, providing complete security surveillance for the organization while ensuring optimal operational efficiency.

Read more on this J&T Express case study here.

Sangfor's Solutions to Deal with Network Threat

Sangfor's powerful Cyber Command can detect cyber threats such as brute force cracking, botnets, and mining viruses in your network traffic. Through Cyber Command, Endpoint Secure can be linked to automatically deal with cyber threats. Watch the video to learn how Sangfor Cyber Command works to detect threats together with Sangfor Endpoint Secure.

In today’s highly digitalized business world, threat detection and response acts as an essential layer of defense for any business and can be the difference maker in their long-term success. If you want to learn more about keeping your business secure from cyber threats, don't hesitate to contact us today.